Fluid actuated motor and gear operated socket wrench



July 22, 1952 E. G. BOICE FLUID ACTUATED MOTOR AND GEAR OPERATED SOCKET Filed May 3, 1950 f/v/n 6. Home INVENTOR.

Patented July 22, 1952 UNITED STATE FLUID ACTUATED MOTOR AND GEAR OPERATED SOCKET WRENCH Elvin G. Boice, Houston, Tex., assignor to Reed Roller Bit Company, Houston, Tex., a corpo ration of Texas Application May 3, 1950, Serial No. 159,811

, 4 Claims.

1 This invention relates broadly to fluid actuated tools, butmore particularly to a small port- 'able'pneumatic tool of a size calculated to fit in the hand of the operator.

--One "object of this invention is to produce a small pneumatic hand wrench'of simple and light construction, shaped to flt comfortably in the hand of the operator.

Another object of this invention is to design .suchtool with a mini-mum'number of parts, preferablymade of die castings or molded to the finished size, thereby requiring very little machining and reducing its manufacturing cost.

- Another object-of this invention is to make the tool housing of material having good bear,- ing characteristics, thereby enabling movable parts :to be journaled in the housing without necessitating the use of special bearings such as ball bearings or the like.

Anotherobject of this invention is to produce such a tool with driving elements arranged and disposed in a manner causing them to act as a speed governor under certain conditions of operation. 1,.

The invention embodies further characterizing features largely of a constructional nature and therefore more easily explained with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sketch of the tool in perspective, showing how it fits in the hand of the operator.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal view, partly in section, of the tool shown in Figure 1.:

Figure-3 is a longitudinal sectional viewtaken on line 3-3 in Figure 2'.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional- 4 4 in Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 in Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts, it will be seen that the tool housing consists of two half sections Ill and l I, held by three screws l2. These two sections are substantially identical and are preferably made of die castings from aluminum alloy material so that they do not require any machining.

The interior of the housing forms, in one end thereof, a threaded connection I 3 adapted to receive one end of a fluid conveying conduit [4. From this connection motive fluid will flow 1ongitudinally through a central passage l5 and then laterally through a port [6, which port is controlled by a throttle valve ll mounted in a view taken on line o 2. removable screwed in plug 18. The valve. 11 has an integral stem- 19 which extends to the exterior of the housing I I, where it is terminated by a button or disk 20 on which manual pressure may be exerted foropening the valve against a closing spring 2|. From the port l6, motive fluid will flow through the longitudinal passage 22 into a motor chamber 23. I

Motor chamber 23 occupies the central portion of the housing, and is of oval shaped cross section as clearly shown in Figure 4. In it are mounted on two parallel shafts 24 and 25 two driving elements or rotors 26 and 21 which extend the full length of the motor chamber and are each provided with four equally spaced teeth or lobes 28. The lobes of one element mesh With the lobes of the other in a manner affording a fluid tight joint between the two elements, while the lobes of each element engage the adjacent concave Wallof the motor chamber as clearly shown in Figure 4. When pressure fluid from the passage 22 is admitted into the motor chamber, it will exert pressure on the teeth or lobes of the driving elements and cause element 26 to rotate clockwise in Figure 4 and element 21 counterclockwise. Since this type of gear motor is well known in the art, no further explanation is thought necessary other than pointing out that from the motor chamber '23 motive fluid is free to exhaust through exhaust port 29, which opens to the atmosphere adjacent the connection l3.

In the motor chamber 23 the two shafts 24 and 25 are of polygonal cross section, and have enlarged cylindrical rear end portions 24a and 25a journaled within the housing. Intermediate its ends, each enlarged end portion has a spur gear 30 mounted thereon for rotation therewith and in mesh with the spur gear of the other end portion.

From the motor chamber 23, the shafts 24 and 25 also extend toward the right in the drawing to form front cylindrical end portions 241) and 2517. These front end portions are journalecl within the tool housing at a place 3|, which is adjacent the motor chamber 23, and again at their extreme end 32 which is longitudinal spaced from 3 Adjacent its extreme end 32, each shaft is formed with a worm 33 meshing with a worm gear 34. The worm gear is formed inter-mediate the ends of a cylindrical socket 35 which extends transversely between the worms 33 and has both end portions journaled in the tool housing as clearly shown in Figure 3. Through the socket extends a square hole 36 adapted to re- 3 ceive a socket adapter such as 31 shown in Figure 1.

In practice, the driving elements 26 and 2'! are also used as a speed governor responsive to centrifugal force for limiting the speed of the tool. To that end the driving elements are molded of resilient material such as neopreme or the like having about 60 durometer hardness, or of a plastic having similar resiliency and hardness. By providing the proper flt between the lobe shaped teeth 28 and the inner wall of the motor chamber, it will be understood that when the speed creates enough centrifugal force, the lobes 28 willbe pressed against the inner wall of the motor chamber by virtue of the resiliency of the driving elements, thereby acting as a friction break or governor for preventing excessive speed of the tool. During this action, any resulting heat will immediately be absorbed by the motive fluid, preferably compressed air, flowing through the motor chamber. While both elements or rotors 26 and 21 are preferably made of this resiliently deformable material,it is not necessary that both rotors be made of the same material. resiliently deformable material, its bearing against the inner wall of the motor chamber may be suflicient to check the speed of the tool.

It will of course be understoodthat the rotal tion of the shafts 24 and 25 in opposite directions is, through the worms 33, transmitted to the worm gear Handsocket or, driven membertt in one direction. Since the socket extends through the tool housing and is open at both ends, it will also be understood thateither end can be applied to the work'such; as bolts, nuts, screws andthelike. 7

The meshing spur gears 30- mounted on the shaft end portions 24a and 25a will maintainthe driving elements 25 and?! in proper lead relationship and the worms 3:! in correct pitch relationship with the worm gear 34; 1 v I ment in said chamber mounted on each of said shafts for rotation therewith, interengaging means on both elementsresponsive to the-motive fluid in said chamber for effecting rotation If at least one of them is made of 7' of said elements and shafts, a worm on each shaft adjacent one end thereof, a socket including a worm gear extending between said worms transversely thereof and in driven relationship therewith, and meshing gears on said shafts maintaining said worms in correct pitch relationship with said worm gear. a p

2. A fluid motor consisting of a housing, a motor chamber having motive fluid admitted therein, a pair of driving elements in said chamber, interengaging teeth on said elements in contact with the wall of said chamber, said elements being rotated in opposite directions by virtue of the motive fluid in said chamber acting on said teeth, said elements and teeth being made of resilient material enabling said teeth to exert pressure on the wall of said chamber by virtue of the centrifugal force of said elements when their rotation reaches a certain maximum, thereby checking the speed of said elements. 7

3. A fluid actuated portable tool consisting of a housing, a pair of parallel shafts extending longitudinally of said housing,,a motor-chamber in said housing having motive fluid admitted therein, a driving element in said chamber mounted on each of said shafts for rotation therewith, interengaging means on said elements responsive to the motive fluid in said chamber for effecting rotation of said elements and shafts, said elements being made of a material resiliently deformable by virtue of their centrifugal force causing them to bear against the wall of' said chamber for checking their rotary speed, a socket extending between said shafts transverselythereof, and rotation transmitting means between said shafts and socket.

4. In a rotary fluid motor which includes a housing having achamber with motive fluid admitted therein and a rotor element in said chamber rotated by the action of the: motive fluid thereon; the improvement which consists of making said element of a material resiliently deformable by 'virtue of the centrifugal force of said element to cause it to bear against the wall of said chamber for checking its rotary speed.

ELVIN G. BOICE.

. REFERENCES" CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

-UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Maddox Nov. 28', 1950 

